Austin Art During SXSW: Graffiti Art and Mass Marketing Collide at a Drive-In

We are living in an age where Banksy may still be a mystery, but Austin-based graffiti artists like Nathan Nordstrom, or Sloke One, proudly promote their talent online and, as it turns out, at organized public promotional events.

During the riotous cavalcade that is SXSW happening next week, artists such as Sloke One, Kristopher Kotcher, Mez One, Micca Toone, and more will all be painting, err, tagging that is, at an organized time and place.

East Side Drive-In is the spot to corral, enjoy some trailer food between live shows, and watch the Krylon masters from March 9th-12th, from 6-8pm.

That SXSW is as much an advertisers playground as it is hipster heaven is no secret, and the organizers of the graffiti event are none other than Trover.com, “a new mobile discovery network that lets you share remarkable places and things in a fun, visual way – all based on your location.” The App allows you to contribute to a patchwork of images specific to any location in the world, which is kind of fun.

Is there getting to be too much overt marketing involved in every aspect of this fantastic showcase of music, film, and art? Yes–as in how about the time when I encountered toilet paper that had been printed business-card style by the hand of some L.A. music promoter in town? Never you mind, these artists will amaze you and you may even find that new App kind of alluring, much like the independent musical acts being brought to you live by Pepsi and Doritos.